VFW: America Needs to Protect Our Protectors

WASHINGTON (January 8, 2019) — The federal government has been in a partial shutdown for nearing three weeks because Congress and the administration cannot reach an agreement over how much to spend on border protection.

“Our government’s first responsibility is to secure the nation and protect her citizens,” said B.J. Lawrence, the national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. “The military is unaffected by the current shutdown because their fiscal year 2019 spending bill was approved already, but America’s fifth service — the U.S. Coast Guard — and the rest of the Department of Homeland Security are very much impacted by the shutdown,” he said.

“Our country needs this Congress and this White House to push through the rhetoric and take care of those who are on the front lines protecting our country,” said Lawrence. “What the Coast Guard and DHS do daily allows the rest of us to sleep easier at night. No one should ever take that for granted.”

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About the VFW: The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is the nation’s largest and oldest major war veterans organization. Founded in 1899, the congressionally-chartered VFW is comprised entirely of eligible veterans and military service members from the active, Guard and Reserve forces. With almost 1.6 million VFW and Auxiliary members located in more than 6,200 Posts worldwide, the nonprofit veterans service organization is proud to proclaim “NO ONE DOES MORE FOR VETERANS” than the VFW, which is dedicated to veterans’ service, legislative advocacy, and military and community service programs. For more information or to join, visit our website at www.VFW.org.